Shelf display sign



3,537,196 SHELF DISPLAY SIGN Phillip Hopp, New York, N.Y., and Harry H.Lutz,

Dumont, N.J., assignors to The Hopp Press Incorporated, New York, N.Y.,a corporation of New York Filed July 5, 1968, Ser. No. 742,856 Int. Cl.G09f 3/18 US. C]. 40-11 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shelfdisplay sign suitable for use on shelf moulding which has a pair ofspaced oppositely disposed facing grooves extending lengthwise along themoulding, includes a blank having a mating groove for engaging the firstof the moulding grooves and a substantially fiat face upon which price,level of stock and coded data processing information can be displayedfor use in conjunction with automatic ordering systems. The blankcarries a fastener for engaging the second moulding groove to hold theblank in position under spring tension.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a shelf displaysign for use on market shelves and the like.

The great expansion in recent years of self-service markets has resultedin a need for a simple and clear, yet attractive, means for conveyingprice information to store patrons. Conventional self service storepractice is to individually price mark shelf items for the convenienceof the customer and to also include on the shelf edge the price of theitems so displayed. In addition, it becomes necessary with changingretail prices and shifting of goods from one part of the store toanother, such, for example, as is necessary during store promotions orsales, to be able to easily and rapidly remove previous prices andinclude the latest prices.

There has been a trend in recent years in large retail.

and supermarket stores to inaugurate automatic ordering systems forreplenishing shelf items which utilizes a scanner and data collectionunit. Consequently, it is necessary to label shelves with electroniccoded indicia to be picked up by the scanner and then forwarded to acentral data processing unit.

Although many attempts were made to overcome the foregoing and otherdifliculties, none, as far as we are aware, was entirely satisfactorywhen carried into practice commercially.

BRIEF SUMMARY We have now developed a shelf display sign which may bereleasably secured to market display racks or moulding upon whichindicia, such, for example, as price, stock level or coded dataprocessing information may be included.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple means by whichshelves in self-service markets may be marked as to price and otherinformation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shelf display signwhich may be easily attached to the shelf moulding.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a shelf displaysign from which price or other printed indicia may be easily removedwhile the sign is mounted on shelf moulding.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the shelf display United StatesPatent ice sign in engagement with a segment of shelf moulding mountedon the shelf;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the shelf display sign taken alongthe line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the shelf display sign partiallydisengaged from the segment of shelf moulding;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view of the shelf display sign; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the shelf display sign.

The shelf display sign, in accordance with our invention, is for use onmarket shelf moulding or racks having a pair of spaced oppositelydisposed facing grooves extending lengthwise along the moulding. Theshelf display sign includes a blank having a mating groove on one sidefor engaging one of the grooves of the moulding and a substantially flatsmooth face upon which indicia may be shown. Such indicia, for example,can include level of stock and coded data processing information for usein conjunction with automatic ordering and inventory control systems. Afastener is carried by the blank and has a pair of spring-actuatedgripping members for engaging the second groove of the moulding oppositeto that engaged by the mating groove of the blank. The blank, which maybe formed of plastic in any color or type, can thus be releasablysecured in the moulding and price or other information included on theface which can be easily removed as marketing conditions dictate.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a frontelevation view of blank 14 releasably secured to the shelf rack ormoulding 10. A fastener 15 is carried by the blank for insertion intothe hollow cavity 24 and is maintained in position by rivets 19 and 20.Fastener 15 is provided with a pair of spring-actuated gripping members16 and 17 for engaging groove 13 of moulding 10. FIG. 2 shows the blank14 in engagement with shelf moulding 10 which in turn is attached to ashelf edge 11. The blank is provided with a substantially smooth flatface 23 upon which price, level of stock or data processing informationmay be included. This information may be printed, for example, on paperor plastic tape and adhesively attached to face 23. The smooth surfaceof face 23 permits rapid removal of the tape or other markings so thatdifferent prices, for instance, responsive to changing market conditionsmay easily be included without the necessity for removing the blank oradding a new shelf sign.

FIG. 3 shows a shelf display sign in a partially engaged position withthe shelf moulding. Hollow cavity 24 for carrying spring-actuated member15 is provided with flared recesses 21 and 22 which permit grippingmembers 16 and 17 to be moved upwardly as the blank is moved downwardlyfor insertion onto moulding 10. For releasably mounting the blank in themoulding, gripping members 16 and 17 are first inserted in groove 13 andthe blank moved downwardly. The spring action of fastener 15 forcesgripping members 16 and 17 to move upwardly in recesses 21 and 22 whichpermits mating groove 18 on the opposite side of the blank to engagegroove 12 of the moulding. Fastener 15 is conveniently formed of a onepiece resilient metal Wire which can be included in hollow cavity 24when blank 14 is formed.

Substantially flat, smooth surface 23 of blank 14 permits a store clerkto attach to face 23 price indicia and other information on separateadhesive tapes. When it becomes necessary to shift shelf stock itemsfrom one place to another, or market conditions necessitate pricechange, the adhesive tape containing price information may be removedand replaced by tape bearing the new price while the stock level orcoded data processing tapes are left intact or changed as the case maybe. Similarly,

the information on stock level may be replaced without disturbing theother tapes. Thus, the shelf display sign need not be removed from theshelf moulding to facilitate tape changes. In addition, spring-actuatedfastener 15 permits blank 14 to be removed from shelf-moulding by firstmoving the blank downwardly in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 2 andthen disengaging mating groove 18 from groove 12 of shelf moulding 10 bypulling outwardly. While the blank is engaged and the shelf display signis in position on the moulding, fastener which only engages lower groove13 of moulding 10 urges the blank upwardly against groove 12 of themoulding causing a friction contact between thesemembers which locks thesign securely in the moulding and does not permit easy lateral movement.Thus, the shelf display sign is not easily moved to another location onthe shelf by oflicious persons or children which would; cause confusionto store patrons without firstdisenga'ging the fastener from themoulding grooves.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction withpreferred embodiments; it is to be under stood that modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and.scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readilyunderstand. Such modifications and variations are considered to bewithin the purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

What is claimed is: x

1. A shelf display sign for use on shelf moulding having a pair ofspaced oppositely disposed facing grooves extending lengthwise along themoulding, which comprises a blank provided with a mating groove on oneside for engaging the first of said grooves of the moulding and a faceupon which indicia may be shown, a hollow cutout section of said blankon the side opposite said mating groove, a spring member fastened tosaid blank with a portion thereof within said cutout section, first andsecond spaced gripping member sections of said spring member, saidhollow cutout section being constructed and arranged to allowunrestricted movement of portions of said gripping member with respectto said blank upon said gripping member sections being yieldingly urgedaway from said second of said grooves of the moulding to allow saidgripping member sections to be placed therein.

2. A shelf display sign in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fastenercomprises a resilient one-piece metal wire for insertion into the hollowsection of the blank and a pair of flared recesses which permits thegripping members to move vertically and to remain under spring tensionwhile the blank is engaged by the shelf moulding.

References Cited JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner W. I. CONTRERAS,Assistant Examiner

